One type of carrier for articles such as bottles and cans is formed from blanks of paperboard sheet stock which are wrapped around the articles by a packaging machine. Typically, the articles are encased by two side panels and top and bottom panels foldably connected to the side panels. The ends of the package are open. The package is adapted to be lifted by the thumb and finger through finger holes provided in the top panel. Openings are provided in the side panels adjacent the bottom panel to hold the heels or bases of the articles in place. In addition, where the articles are bottles, openings are provided in the top panel to hold the necks of the bottles in place.
One problem with such carriers is their vulnerability to tearing at the finger grips when the package is lifted by the thumb and finger due to the concentration of stress at these points. To combat this, the carriers typically are formed from relatively thick paperboard, having a caliper of 23 to 25 points (0.023"-0.025"). Although this material provides adequate tear resistance, it is recognized that if it were not for the tear stresses at the finger grips, thinner paperboard could be used. This would of course be a more economical construction and would be desirable to use if the problem of resisting tear stresses at the finger grips could be solved by other means.
In addition, although the design described above has been in use for quite some time, many people do not like having to lift a package only by their thumb and finger. It can be tiring over a period of time and is simply not as comfortable as lifting a package with one's entire hand would be. For this reason also it would be desirable to have a stronger, more convenient handle design for lifting a wrap-around carrier.